Killer whales in captivity

Updated 7:16 AM ET, Thu March 17, 2016

Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.

Photos:Killer whales in captivity

Lolita, a captive killer whale at the Miami Seaquarium, was added to the endangered species listing for Southern Resident Killer Whales by NOAA Fisheries in February. Although her species was already listed as endangered, Lolita was not previously included because there was an exemption for captive members of the population. Lolita has been at the Miami Seaquarium since 1970.

Hide Caption

1 of 11

Photos:Killer whales in captivity

Killer whales, or orcas, were first put on public display in the 1960s. The best known killer whale shows in the United States are at SeaWorld Parks, which are synonymous with their "Shamu" killer whale shows, seen here.

Hide Caption

2 of 11

Photos:Killer whales in captivity

SeaWorld's first park opened in San Diego, California, in March 1964 with only a handful of employees, a few dolphins, sea lions, and two aquariums. The park introduced orcas the next year, and they quickly became the stars of the park's shows. A steady stream of celebrities have posed with SeaWorld's killer whales, including actress Halle Berry, seen here in 2009.

Hide Caption

3 of 11

Photos:Killer whales in captivity

SeaWorld opened its Orlando park in 1973, where the first killer whale was born in captivity in 1985. SeaWorld emphasizes that it is "dedicated to education, entertainment, research and conservation" of all its marine animals. Here, two orcas at SeaWorld Orlando perform in 2000.

Hide Caption

4 of 11

Photos:Killer whales in captivity

The 1993 hit movie "Free Willy" captured hearts and sparked a massive campaign to free Keiko, the orca that played "Willy" in the movie, from the Mexican amusement park where he performed. Here, Keiko is being prepared to be released into the wild in 1998. In 2002, Keiko spent five weeks journeying across the Atlantic to Norway. He wasn't quite ready to be independent, finding companionship among the Norwegian fishermen and children. He died in December 2003, most likely from pneumonia.

Hide Caption

5 of 11

Photos:Killer whales in captivity

The nation's attention turned once again to the plight of captive orcas in February 2010 when SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau was killed by a male killer whale, Tilikum. Tilikum had been involved in the deaths of two other humans prior to the incident, including a trainer in 1991 in Canada and a man who slipped into the orca tank at SeaWorld Orlando in 1999.

Hide Caption

6 of 11

Photos:Killer whales in captivity

Tilikum returned to performing at SeaWorld Orlando a year after Brancheau's death. Trainers were no longer allowed in the water with the killer whales after OSHA, the federal agency that regulates workplace safety, cited SeaWorld of Florida, Inc., for willfully endangering employees by not taking proper safety precautions. A judge upheld the ruling, but SeaWorld is appealing.

Hide Caption

7 of 11

Photos:Killer whales in captivity

Killer whale Tilikum watches as SeaWorld Orlando trainers take a break during a training session in March 2011. In an effort to unravel what happened between the 12,000-pound Tilikum and the late Dawn Brancheau, filmmaker Gabriela Cowperthwaite made "Blackfish" which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013. The film raises a number of questions, not the least of which being whether killer whales have any place in theme parks.

Hide Caption

8 of 11

Photos:Killer whales in captivity

A male killer whale, Bingo, is transported to the Nagoya Port Aquarium in Japan in December 2011, after the death of the aquarium's only other orca. Marine animal activists say the transfers of orcas between marine parks are unhealthy for these mammals because of the stress and trauma.

Hide Caption

9 of 11

Photos:Killer whales in captivity

This female killer whale, Morgan, was taken in by a Dutch dolphinarium after being found starving in the shallow waters of the North Sea off the Netherlands coast. She is now performing at Loro Parque in Spain's Canary Islands -- despite an agreement that she would be released into the wild after her rehabilitation. Animal rights activists have mounted a legal challenge for her release.

Hide Caption

10 of 11

Photos:Killer whales in captivity

Today, there are 45 captive orcas performing at about 10 parks across the world, most of them born in captivity. Here, orcas perform at the Marineland aquatic park in Antibes, in southeastern France.